When Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan says he has been influenced by the writings of Ayn Rand, most of us probably aren't quite sure what that means. Years ago, I happened to pick up one of her novels and rather liked it. So, I went to the library and picked up a couple mre, which made me increasingly uncomfortable.

Ayn Rand's position is that some people are born aristocrats who can appreciate and deserve to live more prosperous lives than other people, and that will make society as a whole a better place.

She believes if we all act entirely in our own self interests, society as a whole will benefit. This is sometimes called Social Darwinism: Let only the strong survive and the human race will be stronger.